Council receives dispatch update: Leaders support combined service

Ashland city safety leaders and mayor Glen Stewart told council they support the next phase of combined 911 dispatch services with Wayne County in a work session Tuesday.

Fire chief Mark Burgess updated council on the idea, which has been pitched around since late last year. The project is on a list of 31 being considered for a grant through EfficientGovNow, a philanthropic collaboration that works to strengthen the economic competitiveness of Northeast Ohio.

The $45,000 grant would require a 20 percent match among all interested parties and would allow for the implementation phase of the project. Ashland city police and fire, Wooster police and fire and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office are on board with the project.

The biggest reason for the combination is cost, Burgess said. According to information from finance director Larry Paxton, the city paid $516,815 for dispatch services in 2009, up from $384,806 in 2008. In 2005, the city paid $329,271.

Looking at call volume, dispatch and staffing, Burgess said estimates show it could be staffed and done for $350,000 a year for each entity.

Burgess said another place the three sides said consolidation could help is in the inherent down time at the dispatches. Burgess said there are three people at the dispatch center who do some clerical work, but most of the time they are just waiting for the next call to come in.

He said the fire department has 3,600 runs per year or 10 a day. The city police department has 15,000 calls for service, and the county fire departments run 1,000 total a year. He did not have figures for the sheriff's office.

"So with three dispatchers, you add the number of calls up and divide those numbers, there is down time," he said. "If you combine dispatch and increase the number of calls that dispatchers take, you are decreasing that inherent down time."

Stewart added that dispatchers often take numerous follow-up calls to ensure safety and calls to run a license plate or driver's license. Ashland acting police chief Dave Marcelli said he had one call that required 17 follow-up calls. Burgess said Wooster handles a similar amount of calls as Ashland.

"If we can use the same number of dispatchers to handle that call volume, it is real simple math -- that is half the cost of what we are spending now," he said.

Burgess said a third area where combined dispatch will help is in next generation 911 -- the ability to send text, picture or video messages into a dispatch from a cell phone. Very few dispatches have this, and Burgess said the cost is the main reason.

"If the group can pool resources or get grant money for this idea it is cheaper for everyone," he said.

Burgess said he needs an agreement from council to proceed with the implementation plan and what it will cost. But there will be safeguards to stop the process if it is determined it is not cost-effective or there are other road blocks.

The deadline to complete the grant application is April 19. Council president Stephen Stuart suggested having a resolution for council to consider at the April 5 meeting.

Stuart also asked about Ashland County Sheriff E. Wayne Risner's thoughts on the project. Stewart said he has talked with Risner, but the last time the two talked, Risner "was not really on board with this." Stewart said he will continue to invite Risner to meetings and discussions on the project because "I don't want to write the sheriff's office off. We want them to be a part of this."

Risner said Monday he isn't completely on board with the idea of combined dispatch, but is supportive of the studies.

The original idea for a grant for combined dispatch involved a feasibility study. Burgess said the idea has changed to an implementation program because it has been determined that it's feasible.

"Now we have to figure out how to do it," he said. "Now it's the implementation -- we have to get the resolution, we have to pass certain things because each one of those steps gets us closer."

Burgess and Marcelli said they have been to other area combined dispatches, including Stow, Western Stark County and Columbus, and those entities said the service has been better since the combination of dispatch due to improved technology.

Councilman Bob Valentine Sr., 1st Ward, said he understands cost is important, but he "doesn't want to save money to hurt service," and that is the purpose of this implementation study.

Stewart said he "wholeheartedly supports moving forward with this stage." He said he is not unhappy with the services the city receives, and "we are not considering for that reason.

"I'm going to support it guys, and I want your support, and I think a resolution will help us," he said.

n Jeff Russ can be reached at 419-281-0581 ext. 237 or jruss@times-gazette.com.